Strategic Doing 101:

An IntroductionEd Morrison

Strategy-Netsedmorrison@strategy-nets.com

‣ Stage 1: Telling the story of transformation

‣ Stage 2: Promoting link and leverage with forums

‣ Stage 3: Practicing with Strategic Doing with workshops

‣ Stage 4: Organizing a Strategic Process, Agenda and Action Plan

‣ Stage 1: Telling the story of transformation

‣ Stage 2: Promoting link and leverage with forums

‣ Stage 3: Practicing with Strategic Doing with workshops

‣ Stage 4: Organizing a Strategic Process, Agenda and Action Plan

Now we must shift to a path for creating prosperity

Every few hundred years in Western history, there occurs a sharp transformation.

Peter Drucker, The New Realities (1989)

Our Grandchildren’s economy is emerging with wealth created by

networks...

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Our Challenge: Find pathways to our Grandchildren’s economy...

Linking and leveraging our assets

Grandfather’s Grandfather’s EconomyEconomy

Grandchildren’s Grandchildren’s EconomyEconomy

Hierarchies NetworksCommand and control

Link and leverage

Vertically integrate

Horizontally connect

Transactions RelationshipsProtect boundaries

Strengthen cores

Strategic Planning

Strategic Doing

The transformation involves a deep change in mindsets and a new set of

habits

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How regions functioned in a Pre-Networked WorldPre-Networked World

Counties

Cities and Towns

Federal Agencies

State Agencies

K-12 SchoolsHigher Education

Institutions

WorkforceBoards

Social ServiceOrganizations

Chambers of Commerce

Economic DevelopmentOrganizations

Foundations

Regional Planning Organizations

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Counties

Cities and Towns

Federal Agencies

State Agencies

K-12 SchoolsHigher Education

Institutions

WorkforceBoards

Social ServiceOrganizations

Chambers of Commerce

Economic DevelopmentOrganizations

Foundations

Regional Planning Organizations

How regions functioned in a Today’s Networked WorldToday’s Networked World

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Our regions are covered with invisible fences that no longer work...but

continue to constrain us

How do we think and act strategically?

Strategic Planning evolved to handle large hierarchical organizations...It doesn’t work in networks

A small group at the top did the thinking

A larger group at the bottom did the doing

Result: A 3-5 year strategic plan that does not change and is hard to implement

Strategic planning doesn’t work because networks have no tops or bottoms

With Strategic Doing, there’s no separation between thinking and doing

Result: Strategic Agendas and Strategic Action Plans that are flexible and change with circumstances

In Stage 1, regions are:

‣Changing the mindsets from hierarchies to networks;

‣Starting new conversations and ending the “blame games”;

‣Learning the power of appreciative conversations;

‣Refocusing on our responsibilities to the next generation;

‣Building new habits of “closing triangles”

‣ Stage 1: Telling the story of transformation

‣ Stage 2: Promoting link and leverage with forums

‣ Stage 3: Practicing with Strategic Doing with workshops

‣ Stage 4: Organizing a Strategic Process, Agenda and Action Plan

In a network, people move in the direction of their conversations. Our job is to guide these conversations.

Guiding conversations in a network involves both open participation and leadership direction.

In a network, we build conversations from the core...Consolidate your base and then move off the high ground...

Charleston Digital Corridor: fridays @ the

corridor

Youngstown Business Incubator:

Third Thursday at 3

Regular forums introduce people to the possibilities of link and leverage

As trust and collaboration grow, so does the sense of possibility and the opportunity

In Stage 2, regions are:

‣Strengthening habits of civility‣Mapping assets‣Uncovering networks and gaps‣Participating in powerful learning experiences

‣Finding “warm spots” of potential innovation

‣Discovering the power of “linking” assets

to define new opportunities

‣ Stage 1: Telling the story of transformation

‣ Stage 2: Promoting link and leverage with forums

‣ Stage 3: Practicing with Strategic Doing with workshops

‣ Stage 4: Organizing a Strategic Process, Agenda and Action Plan

Strategic Strategic Doing Doing

produces produces alignmentsalignments, links and , links and leverageleverage

Strategic Doing quickly generates “link and leverage” strategies

Strategic Doing focuses on answering four strategic questions:

1.What could we do together?

2.What should we do together?

3.What will we do together?

4.How will we learn together?

Strategic Doing is simple, but not easy...It takes discipline, focus and practice

As the teams answer these questions, they generate all the components of a Strategic Action Plan

We introduce Strategic Doing through workshops that keep conversations focused. We use workshop exercises.

Strategic Doing PackStrategic Doing Short Form

In Stage 3, regions are:

‣Continuing to map assets and close triangles

‣Continuing to uncover networks and gaps

‣Learning the disciplines of Strategic Doing with worksheets

‣Learning how to define strategic outcomes, metrics and pathways

‣Starting to understand the power of the Internet

‣Making decisions that define a Strategic Agenda and Strategic Action Plan

‣ Stage 1: Telling the story of transformation

‣ Stage 2: Promoting link and leverage with forums

‣ Stage 3: Practicing with Strategic Doing with workshops

‣ Stage 4: Organizing a Strategic Process, Agenda and Action Plan

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Strategic Doing is a discipline of continuously aligning, linking and leveraging assets toward transformative outcomes

In North Central Indiana, we have over 50 initiatives in four focus areas each with metrics

Core Core GroupGroupFocFoc

us 1us 1

FocFocus 2us 2

FocFocus 3us 3

FocFocus 4us 4

Initiatives Initiatives

In Stage 4, regions are:

‣Continuing to map assets and close triangles;

‣Continuing to uncover networks and gaps;

‣Mastering the disciplines of Strategic Doing;

‣Developing strong connections between face-to-face and on-line collaboration

‣Expanding the power of their networks to get complex projects done

Next Steps: Let’s answer some questions

Resources:

http://strategicdoing.net/wiki/webinar-resources

http://strategy-nets.com

Peggy HoseaPurdue Center for Regional Development

phosea@purdue.edu